Research and Trip Essentials

A good bird guide such as the Pocket Guide to the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent by Grimmett, Inskip and Inskip (ISBN 0-7136-5165-2) is indispensable. The alternative is the A Field Guide to Birds of the Indian Subcontinent by Krys Kazmierczak (ISBN 1-873403-79-8). I took both books but hardly used the latter.

For comprehensive birding information on the internet visit the Fatbirder web site. This is an excellent starting point when researching a trip to Goa, or anywhere else for that matter.

Although not essential with a good local guide, I also took Goa The Independent Birders’ Guide by Peter Harris (ISBN 0-9529181-0-2) published in October 1996 and currently out of print (March 2006). This guide contains many detailed maps of all major sites, however it is now beginning to appear a bit dated, especially the Species details, with many names having subsequently changed. Some site details are also incorrect as there is no longer access to the Ciba-Geigy pools and the Merck Meat Factory Dump no longer exists. Hopefully, a new book is now being compiled and should be available in the near future.

Further background and site information can be found in A Birdwatchers' Guide to India (Prion Birdwatchers' Guide Series) by Krys Kazmierczak & Raj Singh (ISBN 1-871104-08-4)

Most of the sites we visited are well described in Harris’s booklet. There are also several trip reports on the internet which can be found on the Birdtours site and also CloudBirders.

A good travel guide such as the Lonely Planet Goa & Mumbai (Travel Guide) will give you an excellent flavour of what to expect and advises on everyday equipment you may need to make your stay more comfortable. We went well prepared with medical kit etc mainly from Boots, costing us c£80. In the event we had no problems whatsoever, but the antiseptic wipes were very refreshing during long hours in the field.

Also don’t forget scope and bins and digital camera, if that way inclined!


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